Wednesday, February 7, 2007

In this category you’re selecting the best behind-the-scenes all_access video segment that appeared on ussoccer.com in 2007. Whether it was a Studio 90 interview featuring your favorite WNT player, a sneak peak into the locker room for a historic win or took you across the world for a match, this is the video you've wasted more hours watching at work than your boss wants to know about.

Click the 'Vote' button below to see the videos and vote.

THE FINALISTS:

Beasley in ScotlandFollow DaMarcus Beasley to Glasgow for the weekend of the Old Firm game for a look inside his move to Rangers, the rivalry with Celtic and Beasley’s new home.

Gold Cup TitleGet inside the locker room at Soldier Field for Bob Bradley’s speeches, and, after a 2-1 win vs. Mexico, see the confetti emptied out of the Gold Cup before the champagne is poured in.

Highlights: Brazil 4, USA 2 O jogo bonito comes to Soldier Field as the two top teams in the Americas collide for a ‘Clash of Champions’ that wowed a boisterous crowd with six goals.

Jonathan Bornstein's First Cap With the all_access camera following him around on the day of his first cap, Johnathan Bornstein shows his appreciation by ending a perfect day with a game-winning goal against Denmark.

Landon Throws Out the First PitchCarlos Bocanegra meets Tommy Lasorda and Landon Donovan throws a perfect strike as four U.S. MNT players hit a Cubs game in Chicago before the Clash of Champions.

O'Reilly Tours Guangdong Stadium The U.S. WNT has been to China so many times that they’ve begun to offer tours, literally. At the Four Nations tournament in January, Heather O’Reilly introduces Guangdong Stadium and training facility.

Studio 90: Wambach's Back Four Quiz After narrowly missing a chance to go 4-for-4 in the Back Four Quiz, Abby Wambach turns the table and stumps Studio 90 host Neil Buethe with a tricky question of her own.

AOTY Finalists Nomination Criteria

Athlete of the Year (Male and Female)
The Athlete of the Year should be voted on the basis of:

Competing and excelling at the highest level (both at the National Team level and the professional level) during the calendar year

Exhibiting decorum on and off the field which reflects well on U.S. Soccer

Contributing toward the growth, development, credibility and popularization of soccer in the United States.

Young Athlete of the Year (Male and Female)
This award is designed to highlight a young, up-and-coming player, who has excelled at the Youth National Team level for U.S. Soccer within the last calendar year. The award should be voted on the basis of:

Competing and excelling at the Youth National Team level (as well as the professional or collegiate level) during the calendar year, including appearing in at least one international match for a U.S. youth national team in the calendar year

Exhibiting decorum on and off the field which reflects well on U.S. Soccer,

Contributing toward the growth, development, credibility and popularization of soccer in the United States

Displaying potential to succeed at a high standard in the years to come.

Note: An athlete can only win this award once in their career. (Jozy Altidore won in 2006 and Freddy Adu won in 2003)

About "Best of U.S. Soccer" Awards

Started in 2002, U.S. Soccer’s “Best of” awards honor the standout performances on and off the field during the calendar year in American soccer. Fans are given the opportunity to nominate candidates for a handful of the award categories, and then hand out the honors by voting on-line at ussoccer.com. In all, the “Best of” series has handed out 54 awards out to soccer players, bars, stores and even fans in the United States over the past fiver years (check out the list of winner’s here).